Automatic bottling-machine.



PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

J. KEENAN. AUTOMATIC BOTTLING MACHINE.

2 sums-sum 1.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13. 1905- l-nsmm FIG. 1

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INVENTQR.

PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

J. KEENAN.

AUTOMATIC BOTTLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MARJS. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FIG. 3

FIG.5

FIG.4

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH KEENAN, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I HALF TO WILLIAM G. LINDSAY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC BOTTLlNG-IVIACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed March 13 1905. Serial No, 249.883.

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH KEENAN, a resident of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Bottling-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact deelevation of the upper portion of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the same; and Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are vertical sections taken, respectively, through the syrup-pump, the presser and cork-puller, the water-valve, and the sniffvalve.

The machine will be provided with any suitable frame or table 1, having mounted thereon the removable bed or base plate 2, which is provided with a pair of hollow vertical posts 3 and with a downwardly-projecting bracket or yoke 4. Working in the hollow posts or standards 3 are a pair of vertically-reciprocating operating-rods 5, having their upper ends connected by a cross-head or block 6 and having their lower ends passing through openings in the yoke 4 and connected by a crossbar 7, which in turn is connected to a treadlelever 8, pivoted on a cross-rod 9, mounted in the legs 10 of the table. The rods 5 below the base-plate or table 2 are provided with shoulders, such as the collars 11, and interposed between these collars and the bracket or yoke 4 are strong springs 12, which preferably surround the rods, as indicated, and serve to normally hold the same elevated. When the treadle 8 is depressed, the rods 5 will be drawn downwardly and will compress the springs 12, and when the treadle is released these springs will quickly and sharply elevate the operatingrods 5.

The plate or table 2 is provided with acupshaped depression 14, the bottom of which is provided with an opening through which works a plunger or rod 15, carrying at its upper end the rest or support 16 for the bottle 17 to be filled. Also depending from the plate 2 are a pair of rods 18, which carry a cross-bar 19, through which the lower end of the rod 15 passes loosely. A helical spring 20 surrounds the rod 15 and is interposed between the cross-bar 19 and a collar 21, secured to .said rod, this spring forming a yielding bearing or cushion for the bottle-rest 16. In order to accommodate bottles of different heights, the cross-bar 19 is adjustably supported on the rods 18, such as providing said rods with a series of holes 23 for receiving suitable holding-pins upon which the bar 19 rests.

The cross-head 6, secured to the upper ends of the operating-rods 5, carries a presser-head 24, which is provided with the delivery-passage 25 for conducting the liquid to the bottle and having the lower end of this deliverypassage surrounded by a rubber gasket 26, as is common with machines of this character. The delivery-passage is connected by a pipe 27 to a water-valve 28, (shown in detail in Fig. 6,) which also is carried by the cross-head 6 and has connected thereto the supply-pipe 29. The valve 30, which admits the water, is normally kept seated by means of a spring 31 and is provided with an operating-stem 32, which projects downwardly and in line with a suitable stationary abutment 33, against which it will strike when the cross-head 6 is depressed sufliciently, thus opening the valve and admitting water to the bottle. The delivery-passage 25 in the presser 24 is also connected to the syrup-pump 35, which may be of any suitable construction, such as shown in Fig. 4, and which has connected thereto the syrup-supply pipe 36. vided with the automatically opening and closing inlet-valve 37 and outlet-valve 38, the casing for the latter serving to connect the pump with the delivery-passage 25. The cylinder of the pump is movable and is a cupshaped member 39, which surrounds the lower end of the stationary plunger 40. The cylinder is normally kept depressed by means of a spring 41, surrounding a guide-rod 42 and bearing against an arm 43, which is connected, by means of a rod 44, with the cylinder of the pump. This spring depresses the cylinder 39, thus drawing a supply of syrup into the pump-chamber through the inlet-valve 37. When the cross-head 6 is lowered sufficiently,

This pump is pro-' IIQ the cylinder 39 will strike against a stop or abutment 45, thus moving said cylinder upwardly against the tension of the spring 41 and forcing the syrup contained in the pump past the outlet-valve 38 and into the delivery passage 25 of the presser. To regulate the amount of syrup injected by the pump into the bottle at each operation, the guide-rod 42 is provided with a series of openings 46 for receiving a suitable pin for limiting the extent of expansion of the spring 41, and consequently the extent of movement of the cylinder 39 of the pump.

The presser 24 is made hollow, and extending down therethrough is the shank of the cork-pulling hook 48, which at its upper end is provided with a yoke .49, which embraces a lever 50, pivoted on an arm 51, secured to the cross-head 6. This lever is normally held, by means of a helical spring 52, against a stop 53. with the pulling-hook 48 extending down into the neck of the bottle. Pivoted to the outer end of the lever 50 is a swinging latch 54, having a hook at its lower end, which is adapted on the downward movement of the cross-head to slide past a suitable stationary projection 56 and on the upward movement of the cross-head to catch against said projection, thus holding the latch against upward movement, so that as the cross-head 6 continues to move upwardly the lever 50 will be swung on its pivot, so as to elevate the pulling-hook 48 and draw the stopper up into the neck of the bottle in the well understood manner. The cork is shown at 57 and is of the well-known type, having abail 58 for engagement with the pulling hook 48. The latch 54 is provided with a projection 60, having a beveled face, and one of the operatingrods 5 is provided with an adjustable dog 61, also having a beveled face, and which on the continued upward movement of the rod 5 will press against the projection 60 on the latch and force the same outwardly, so that the hook 55 will clear the stop 56, thus permitting the spring 52 to move the lever 50 and again lower the cork-pulling hook. A suitable spring 63 is provided for holding the latch 54 in such position that when it slides downwardly past the stop 56 its hook 55 will be brought underneath the latter.

An adjustable collar 64 is connected to one of the operating-rods 5 and is so positioned that when said rods are depressed to the desired extent it will contact with the upper end of one of the hollow posts 3, and thus prevent the cross-head 6 from being pulled down to such an extent as to injure the machine or bottle. WVhen the treadle 8 is released, the springs 12 throw the cross-head 6 sharply upwardly, and to prevent the cork-pulling hook 48 being injured it is not connected rigidly'to the lever 50, but the stirrup 49 at the upper end of said hook is connected to a leaf-spring 65, secured to the lever.

A sniff-valve 66 is provided for releasing the air contained in the bottles, this valve being located as close to the point'of filling as possible and opening a large vent, so that the release of the air is practically instantaneous. As shown, the presser 24 is provided with a branch passage 67, into which is screwed the sniff-valve casing 66. The latter is provided with a seat with which cooperates the valve The latter is provided with a stem 69, which is surrounded by a spring 70 for holding the valve seated. The valve-stem is connected to the lever 71. The spring 70 is only slightly stronger than the pressure at which the liquid is to be bottled, so that a slight tap on the lever 71 will open the valve 68, and as the latter opens a large vent the release of the air is practically instantaneous, thus'both relieving the operator and expediting the work.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A bottle 17 to be filled will be placed with its neck against the rubber gasket 26 of the presser and with its base on the bottle-rest 16. The treadle 8 will then be depressed, thus drawing the operating-rods 5 downwardly and compressing the springs 12. This move ment carries with it the cross-head 6 and all connected mechanism. The bottle also move s downwardly, the spring 20 yielding to allow this. In the downward movement of the crosshead 6 the cylinder of the syrup-pump will strike the stop 45, thus forcing said cylinder upwardly and injecting a charge of syrup into the delivery-passage of the presser. A moment later the operating-rod 32 of the watervalve will strike the stop 33,thus unseating said valve and permitting the water which is under its own or produced pressure to rush into the delivery-passage of the presser and down into the bottle, carrying with it the syrup. The air in the bottle is permitted to escape by tapping the lever 71 of the snifl-valve. In the downward movement of the cross-head 6 the lever 50 and its latch 54 have also been lowered until the hooked end of said latch has passed below the stop 56. When the bottle is full, the treadle 8 is released and the springs 12 will elevate the operating-rods, cross-head 6, and connected parts. In this upward movement the hook 55 of the latch 54 will catch underneath the stop 56,thus arresting the upward movement of the outer end of the lever 50; but as the fulcrum of said lever continues to rise with the cross-head 6 said lever will be swung on its pivot, thus drawing quickly and sharply upwardly on the hook 48 and drawing the stopper up into the neck of the bottle. The continued upward movement of the rods 5 brings the dog 61 against the projection 60 of the latch 54, thus forcing said latch outwardly and disengaging its hook 55 from the stop 56. During this upward movement of the crosshead the spring 42- will depress the cylinder 40 of thesyrup-pump,thus drawinga fresh supply of syrup into said pump. The upward movecarrying the pump and water-valve.

ment of the parts will be arrested by the collars 11 on the rods 5 striking against the lower end of the base-plate 2. The bottle will then be removed and an empty bottleput in its place, when the foregoing operation will be repeated.

The machine described is simple and cheap of construction and cannot readily get out of order. Its operation also is very simple and quick, the operator merely having to remove the filled bottle, replace the same with an empty bottle, and operate the treadle 8 and tap the sniff-valve lever. The mere act of depressing the treadle 8 will supply the bottle with the necessary syrup and water, and the stopper is automatically pulled to place by the upward movement of the cross-head when the treadle is released.

In place of the two rods 5 I may employ a single rod; but on account of the side strains a plurality of rods is preferred, or I may use any suitable frame movable vertically aikild T e machine may be operated by power or hand, as well as by foot. All such modifications I intend to include in the terms of the claims as expressed.

What I claim is 1. In a bottling-machine, the combination of'a suitable frame, a bottle-rest unconnected with the moving parts of the machine, a vertically-movable frame, means for actuating the same, a presser immovably secured to said frame and provided with a delivery-passage, a syrup-pump and water-valve also carried by said frame and connected to the delivery-passage in the presser, and stationary abutments located in the paths of movement of the operating means for the water-valve and syruppump, whereby in the downward movement of the operating-frame the presser will be forced against the neck of the bottle and the syrup-pump and Water-valve will be operated.

2. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a suitable frame, a yielding bottle-rest unconnected with the moving parts of the machine, a vertically-movable operating-frame, means for actuating the same, a presser immovably secured to said operating-frame and provided with a delivery-passage, a syruppump and water-valve also carried by said operating-frame and connected to the delivery-passage in said presser, and stationary abutments located in the paths of movement of the operating means for the water-valve and syrup-pump, whereby in the downward movement of the operating-frame the presser will be forced against the neck of the bottle and the syrup-pump and water-valve will be operated.

3. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a suitable frame, a bottle-rest unconnected with the moving parts of the machine, a spring bearing against said rest and holding the same normally elevated, a vertically-movable operating-frame, means for actuating the same, a presser immovably secured to said frame and provided with a delivery-passage, a syruppump and water-valve and operating means tically-movable operating-frame, a presser immovably-secured to said frame and provided with a delivery-passage, a syrup-pump and water-valve also carried by said operatingframe and connected to the delivery-passage of said presser, operating meansfor said pump and water-valve, means for varying the extent ofmovement of the operating means of the pump, and stationary abutments located vin the paths of movement of the operating means for the pump and water-valve.

5. In a bottling-machine, the combination ofa suitable frame, a bottle-rest, a verticallymovable operating-frame, means for actuating the same, a presser connected to said operating-frame, a' cork-puller extending through the presser, an operating-lever for said corkpuller pivoted to the movable frame, and a latchconnected to said lever and arranged to engage a stationary stop in the upward movement of the frame.

6. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a suitable frame, a bottle-rest, a verticallymovable operating-frame, means for actuatatingframe and provided with a deliverypassage, a cork-puller extending into said delivery-passage, an operating-lever for said cork-puller pivoted to said vertically-movable frame, a latch connected to said lever and arranged to engage a stationary stop on the upward movement of said frame, and a tripping-dog on said vertical movable frame arranged to disengage said latch from said stop.

7. In a bottling-machine, the combination of a suitable frame, a bottle-rest, a verticallymovable operating-frame, means for depressing the same, springs for elevating the same, a presser carried by said frame and provided with a delivery-passage, a cork-puller projecting into said delivery-passage, an operatinglever therefor pivoted to the vertically-movable frame, yielding connections between said puller and lever, a latch connected to said lever, and a stationary abutment arranged to be ing the same, a presser carried by said operengaged by said latch on the upward movement of the operating-frame. 

